Breaking: Israel airstrikes against 'Iranian' targets in Syria

[Itsback]

Syrian air defense systems have repelled an attack in the skies over Damascus, state news agency SANA has reported. The Israeli army said it was attacking "Iranian Quds" forces and warned the Syrian military not to retaliate.


A military source cited by SANA said that Syrian air defenses intercepted most of the Israeli missiles before they hit targets. The source said that Israel launched guided missiles from ground and air in several rounds.


https://www.rt.com/news

[Swordsmyth]

This should be in World News

[Itsback]

This should be in World News

Israeli military actions and US Politics are allies

[Origanalist]

This should be in World News

But Israel is our little buddy, our best friend. It's almost like we're the same country, gay pride marches and everything. They're so enlightened.

[Swordsmyth]

Israeli military actions and US Politics are allies

But Israel is our little buddy, our best friend. It's almost like we're the same country, gay pride marches and everything. They're so enlightened.

It still belongs in World News until there is some actual US involvement.

[Origanalist]

It still belongs in World News until there is some actual US involvement.

I can see this bothers you, you should report it.

[Swordsmyth]

I can see this bothers you, you should report it.

I don't report things like this unless the OP agrees with my suggestion but it looks like the mods agree with me since they moved it.

[RonZeplin]

Syria says its air defenses intercept ‘most of Israeli missiles’ fired on Damascus


An image released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on May 10, 2018 purportedly shows what the official news agency said was air defense systems intercepting Israeli missiles over Syrian airspace, without specifying the location. (Photo by AFP)

Syrian media reported on Sunday that the country’s air defenses have thwarted an Israeli aerial attack on targets in the capital Damascus, intercepting and shooting down several missiles.

A military source told Syria's official news agency SANA that "at 01:10 o’clock (local time) on Monday, January 21, 2019, the Israeli enemy launched land and air strikes and through successive waves of guided missiles."

The source added that "immediately our air defenses dealt with the situation and intercepted the hostile missiles, downing most of them before reaching their targets as they continue their heroic response to the aggression."

According to Press TV’s correspondent, the attack lasted for over an hour, and the explosions were the loudest in months.

Reports said a military airport near Damascus were among the targets. Israel’s military claimed immediately after the attack that it had struck Iranian targets in Syria.
The attack came a few hours after a similar incident, in which Syrian air defense forces repelled an Israeli aerial aggression in the Arab country’s south.


PressTV-Syrian air defense repels Israeli strike: State media

Syrian air defense units have thwarted an Israeli aerial attack in the Arab country’s south, state media reported.

"Our air defense systems thwarted ... an Israeli air aggression ... and prevented it from achieving any of its goals," SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying on Sunday, without giving further details.

The report added that the rare daylight missile attack had targeted localities in and around the Syrian capital, Damascus. Nearly all Israeli missile attacks have so far occurred overnight or during the early hours of the day.

Meanwhile, Russia's National Defense Control Center, cited by RIA news agency, said in a statement that the Israeli assault was conducted by four warplanes and targeted an airport in southeastern Damascus.

RIA further cited the center that the attack had not left any victims and that the airport was not damaged.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/...guided-missile

[Swordsmyth]

It's the first time that Israel has ever announced strikes against Iran inside Syria and in real time. Moments after a massive wave of rockets were fired on Damascus, activating Syrian anti-air defenses Sunday night, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced: "We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory."


This is unprecedented given that in every other among the dozens of prior recent Israeli attacks on Syria, the IDF has never acknowledged responsibility so quickly and certainly not while they are ongoing, usually declining to confirm or deny after the event.

We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 20, 2019

Twelve hours prior the IDF said its Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted a Syrian rocket fired into the northern Golan Heights after Israel launched a prior rare daylight raid on Syria on the “international airport, southwest of Damascus,” according to Syrian military officials. In what marks a major escalation, it appears Damascus responded to that attack with what Israeli media has called an "intentionally fired offensive surface-to-surface attack."
The Israeli intercept of that inbound Syrian surface-to-surface missile was caught on dramatic video, per The Times of Israel:

The interception of the incoming Syrian projectile was seen over Mount Hermon, Israel’s tallest peak, which was full of visiting skiers, following a stormy period that dusted the mountain with snow.

צפו: כיפת ברזל מיירטת רקטה שנורתה לחרמון - מנקודת מבטם של הגולשים | @guyvaron https://t.co/KREVHJMUKi pic.twitter.com/zCGhzEvKTB
— החדשות (@NewsChannelIL) January 20, 2019

Israel's Sunday night attack has involved dozens of strikes reportedly from F-16 jets flying over Lebanon targeting locations in and around southern Damascus. Syria’s Pantsir and Buk air defense missile systems have reportedly shot down an unknown number of inbound Israeli rockets according to early unconfirmed video.

SyAAD is engaging enemy projectiles in Southern Syria.

We also have unconfirmed reports of Syrian Air Force first response squadron's participation. pic.twitter.com/Dzp4IE0une
— maytham (@maytham956) January 20, 2019

Israel also reportedly launched multiple cruise missiles during the sustained assault. Local Syrians have described prolonged sustained explosions both overhead and on the ground, but it remains unclear how many Israeli rockets actually made it past Syrian defenses.

That was a successful hit on an #Israel's a Delilah cruise missile by 57E6 missile launched from a #Syrian Arab Air Defense Force SA-22 Pantsir over #Damascus. pic.twitter.com/lcTeXShfCJ
— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) January 21, 2019

The IDF has warned Syria not to respond, which appears to be unheeded as Israeli media is reporting that anti-air defenses have been activated by inbound Syrian rockets over northern Israel and the Golan Heights.

#Israeli air-defenses systems have been activated in the Golan Heights and northern Israel. https://t.co/6QIu7Ox7fO
— Majd Fahd ���� (@Syria_Protector) January 20, 2019

As of 1:45 AM Beirut time Al-Masdar News reports the following:

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unleashed a massive attack on the Damascus countryside at 1:05 A.M. (local time), tonight, hitting a number of targets in and around the town of Al-Kisweh.
According to a military source, Israeli jets were first spotted over Jabal Sheikh-Golan Heights area; they would then fire several missiles towards Al-Kisweh.
The Syrian military then activated their air defense units, but were unable to stop all the missiles that were fired at the Damascus countryside.

The reported added, "The Israeli Air Force is now launching another wave of strikes on Damascus, with some reports claiming they are hitting targets near the Damascus International Airport."
Strikes appeared to have subsided an hour or more after they began, and are reported to have included in total over 40 rockets launched in four waves.
developing...

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-...res-back-major